Dear Americans: A lesson in proper English.

Originally posted by eightfold
It's definitely aluminium. You pronounce it likes it's spelt surely? There's no "oo" in there, only a u.

edit on 25/11/11 by eightfold because: (no reason given)

So the British actually spell it that way (nium)??

reply to post by akushla99


Haha, what have I started? To be fair, I didn't say a single thing about grammar in my original post.

Originally posted by DrunkenDonuts
Don't worry, even us Americans have lesser forms of English than standard American English. For example, for 49 of the states in the USA, "Missouri" is known as "Missouri". However, in Missouri, the people pronounce it "Missoura". We can't even get our own bad Engrish right.

Hey!! I from MIssoura! Growing up there, I always said it correctly, in fact all of my English was correct and proper, and I had teachers asking me if I was from "back East?" I'd never been out of Missouri for more than a week in my entire life, LOL!

But it does come in handy in distinguishing between Miama, Oklahoma and Miamee, Florida. For folks around there, Miami is in Florida, and Miama is in Oklahoma.

Some more gems are Wrasslin instead of wrestling, and plowers instead of pliers.

However, I am always a fan of removing unnecessary letters, so color and humor seem much more appropriate than adding a decorative "u" to look fancy, LOL!

Originally posted by eightfold
reply to post by akushla99

 

Haha, what have I started? To be fair, I didn't say a single thing about grammar in my original post.

I know...I'm having a bit o' fun...

Cheers
Akushla

Originally posted by Tindalos2013

Originally posted by Chamberf=6
I never understood why the British pronounce "aluminum" as "aluminium".
There is no second "i" in the word...

edit on 11/25/2011 by Chamberf=6 because: (no reason given)

You are mistaken as there is a 2nd "i" in the spelling of aluminium.

Not in US English.

for once i must defend the americans lol
i drive all over the uk and the different dialects spoken is crazy. i mean, why call anyone `duck` for example instead of m8 or friend etc?
each to their own i say.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


Huh? I was ready to jump in on your side, but according to the Periodic Table and International Chemistry designations, it really does have an extra "i"!! I would have never believed it.

Web Elements

English was correct and proper, and I had teachers asking me if I was from "back East?" I'd never been out of Missouri for more than a week in my entire life, LOL!

I had the same problems growing up in West Virginia having people ask me if I was from up north... No I'm not it you learn to speak properly when you mom smacks for sounding like your hick friends.

From the Germans and Scots Irish the settled here the Appalachian dialect is almost completely different from anywhere else.

You get a lot of Fur instead of for... I've even head people say "culbert" instead of culvert.

Towns are some of the worst words mispronounced around my house there are two towns Tesla and Tioga. But the older people especially say Teslie and Tiogie. Bugs the crap out of me.

Al uh men e um.
Aluminium.
Why the red squiggly line under it?
Aluminum.
There, that is better,
American.

as my sig says
Wee sleekit cowrin timrous beastie O what a panics in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an chase thee Wi murdering pattle.
Robert Burns.

scots english lol

reply to post by scotsdavy1

Many of the southern U.S. dialects originated with the Scottish immigrants. The revolutionary war was a war between the Scots and England. We won.
(The Scots.)

reply to post by eightfold

..... so here it is for your pleasure and derision, which one likely depends on what part of the world your from. It made me laugh in any case.

I always like comedy, especially intellectual satire. So just like the Queen, I am amused. (Or, is it "amewsed?")

PS Any correction of my inevitably ropey grasp of my own language will be met with derision, ignorance and pointing out that I am in fact Scottish. I'm entitled to use and abuse the language in the same way the Americans do.

Still, even those in the UK (and yes...even Scots!) must realize the importance of not only spelling and pronunciation and syntax...but using the correct bloody word!

If the sentence fragment quoted up top didn't pop out yet, here it once again, with emphasis:

....likely depends on what part of the world your from.

...world "your" what is from? Mine? His? Hers?

"your" is a pronoun. Perhaps you intended to use the phrase which is a homophone in audible English, but is an entirely different function in a sentence....the contraction for two words:

"you" and "are". Or, "you're". Now, it fits into the sentence, as written, and makes a bit more sense.

Commas and apostrophes, such small things, but oh, so very important sometimes.


Consider these three words:

"Let's eat Grandma!"

Uh oh.....missing an important little comma.....so, adding one takes on an entirely different (and intended) meaning:

"Let's eat, Grandma!"

Americans, sort it out. At very least put the U back in colour? Please?

As soon as certain Canadians drop that extra 'O' in "aboout"!

Originally posted by scotsdavy1
as my sig says
Wee sleekit cowrin timrous beastie O what a panics in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an chase thee Wi murdering pattle.
Robert Burns.

scots english lol

For those who don't speaks scot's

Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast,
O, what a panic is in your breast!
You need not start away so hasty
With hurrying scamper!
I would be loath to run and chase you,
With murdering plough-staff.

reply to post by ProudBird

So, "let's eat, Grandma", means "let us eat, Grandma."
What, is she trying to starve the grand kids?

I just don't understand what your point is. Maybe I should start a thread called. " How to wash your dirty laundry before you tell me how to fold mine"

Reply to post by eightfold

I'm Canadian and I thank you DEARLY for this. If our dear friends from the good old USA could have known to spell correctly and use proper grammar from day one, they might not be in the awful position they are in right now. Well, maybe they would, but at least they wouldn't be viewed as stupid by the rest of the world.

Ohhhh boy, I am going to get e-stabbed to death for saying that.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by aerielbear

Arrrggghhh!
You deserved it.

Originally posted by kellerphoenix

I could care less what the Queen or any of the English think, so hold down the fort until I return.

Surely you mean "I could NOT care less", i.e. your ability to care has reached its lowest possible point.
"I could care less" means that you still care; your ability to care has not evaporated completely.

I had to laugh reading this as it brought back some personal memories. My mother was the world's worst at pronunciations, spelling, etc. as she was a child of the depression era and lived through hard times to include school that was attended when the field work allowed.

We had distant relatives in Hawaii and she use to call me ever so often and ask, Do you remember so and so from Hi are ya.

I would always respond, "fine how are you'. She would either laugh or hang up on me depending on her mood. another quirk she had was to add an "R" to the end of most words. But we overlooked the poor pronunciation and spelling of the messages because the messenger was such an angel and a delight to be around.

reply to post by SurrealisticPillow


OK.....we all know that "let us" is contracted to the shorthand "let's", in vernacular. The context will determine whether it is an invitation to join, a call to the table.....or an imperative and yearning wish for the old crone to feed "us"!

So, we'll (we will) change the words to be less interpretive, then??:

"Shall we eat Grandma?"

--or--

"Shall we eat, Grandma?"

(The first one might be due to the fact that mean ole' Granny starving the kids, and they're deciding amongst themselves whether to go cannibalistic on her old carcass!!).....